The NFL isn’t just about American football and its players. It’s also about the show, the promotional events, the fans, and the Super Bowl that has built a reputation for itself on a global scale. That’s why figures of entertainment like cheerleaders and team mascots on the field have been around forever and play an important role in keeping the show always going.
While cheerleaders have always been a topic of conversation, mascots aren’t exactly as talked about. That’s why we were intrigued to look into that aspect of divertissem*nt and know what it’s like to be a mascot in the top-tier American League.
The mascot just stiff-armed a kid 😂 pic.twitter.com/gDe2ONxw0w
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 17, 2023
Highest-paid NFL mascots
Unlike in college, mascots in the NFL can earn up to $60,000 a year. Only a very few professionals however are able to earn more than the proposed amount if they signed worthy contracts with their teams.
The Dallas Cowboys’ Rowdy, for example, earns $65,000 per year, which makes sense as the mascot of ‘America’s team.’ Pat Patriot is the second highest-paid mascot in the league, now earning the same amount as Rowdy. They both pocket an hourly rate of $50. San Francisco’s Sourdough Sam comes in third, earning $60,000 per season and an hourly salary of $45.
Not every NFL team has a mascot, however. While the majority of the 32 teams do, five do not have a mascot: New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, and Washington Commanders.
Lowest-paid NFL mascots
There is no one lowest-paid mascot in the NFL, but there are a few who are paid no more than $50,000 a season, including the Seattle Seahawks’ Blitz and Carolina Panthers’ Sir Purr.
NFL mascots’ salaries in 2023
| No. | Mascots | Team | Earnings/hour | Earnings/season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rowdy | Dallas Cowboys | $50 | $65,000 |
| 2 | Pat Patriot | New England Patriots | $50 | $65,000 |
| 3 | Sourdough Sam | San Francisco 49ers | $45 | $60,000 |
| 4 | Toro | Houston Texans | $45 | $60,000 |
| 5 | Staley Da Bear | Chicago Bears | $45 | $60,000 |
| 6 | Swoop | Philadelphia Eagles | $45 | $60,000 |
| 7 | Miles | Denver Broncos | $45 | $60,000 |
| 8 | Poe | Baltimore Ravens | $45 | $60,000 |
| 9 | Steely McBeam | Pittsburgh Steelers | $45 | $60,000 |
| 10 | Blue | Indianapolis Colts | $40 | $50,000 |
| 11 | Blitz | Seattle Seahawks | $40 | $50,000 |
| 12 | Freddie Falcon | Atlanta Falcons | $40 | $50,000 |
| 13 | Viktor | Minnesota Vikings | $40 | $50,000 |
| 14 | Sir Purr | Carolina Panthers | $40 | $50,000 |
Highest-paid mascot ever
While NFL mascots aren’t making more than these numbers shown above, there are some professional mascots who make six figures or more in a season. NBA Denver Nuggets’ Rocky is making an insane amount and is considered to be the highest-paid mascot in all of sports, $625,000 per year. Rocky, who’s been around for a while, was even inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame back in 2006.
